Inhaler



meme, 5,, 195@ BENSON 2,532,283

INHALER Filed May 27, 1949 ATTORNEYS? Patented Dec. 5, 1950 UNI TED S TATE S PATENT OFFICE INHALER Jimmie Myron Benson, Miami, Fla. Application May 27, 1949, Serial No. 95,680

5 Claims. 11

This invention relates to inhalers designed for use in the treatment of such respiratory conditions as hay fever, sinusitis, bronchitis, asthma, head colds, andthe like. i

The invention has reference to that class of inhalers which is applied to the nostrils of the person being treated, and wherein medicinally chargedvapors or fumes are drawn into the lungs by inspiration.

An importantobject of the present invention is to provide a device of the type stated provided with a valved passage through which said fumes are drawn, with said passage being formed in a novel manner for the accommodation of a valve disc adapted to operate within the passage as a check valve.

Another important object is to provide a device of the type stated which will be constructed in a manner to eliminate the need for relative adjustment of its component parts before and after use, the construction being specifically intended to permit manufacture of the invention at relatively low cost, while yet providing an inhaler that will be durable and efficient in use.

Another important object is to provide an inhaler which is so designed as to efiiciently charge incoming air prior to inspiration thereof into the user's lungs, the device .being so designed as to cause, by said inspiratory action, a quantity of air to be brought into the device for medicinal charging, while another previously charged quantity is being drawn out of the device by inhalation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawing Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of an inhaler constructed in accordance with the invention, a portion being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, 'enlarged still further.

Referring to the drawing in detail, I provide a container 5 which can be of any suitable form, and which is adapted to hold a suitable quantity of a medicinal preparation in liquid form, the

vapors of which are to be inhaled. Said container 5 is formed open at its upper end, and said open upper end is closed by a removable cover 6 having the spaced outer and innermarginal flanges '7 and "8 adapted to define a peripheral groove receiving the edge of the container 5.

Formed in the cover 6 are spaced openings 9 of equal diameter, and also formed in the cover and spaced from both these openings, is the air inlet opening H) which is of small diameter as compared to either of the openings 9. The 'air inletopening II] is normally closed by a plug H which, as will be understood, will be so formed as to normally tightly close the opening l0, while yet permitting removal of the plug whenever it is desired to usethe inhaler for its intended purpose.

Seated in the respective openings '9 are the upstanding nozzles l2, integrally joined by the connecting portion 13, and formed with the surrounding stop flange 1'4 adapted to engage the covert, said stop flange l4 being so located relative to the nozzles [2 as to cause the lower threaded portion l5 of said nozzles to project downwardly below the cover inside the container 5.

'I'hreadable on the threaded lower ends I 5 of diameter of the openings ll, said bore l8being formed adjacent its upper end with the radially disposed longitudinal ribs l9 merging into the restricted bore 20 at the upper portion of each nozzle thatopens, aswill be understood, into the nostril of the user.

The ribs l9 as clearly seen from Figs. 3 and 4, define between them a plurality of breathing ports 21 through which pass the vapor or fumes of the medicinal compound contained withinthe container 5, after said fumes have been efiectively intermixed with oxygen in a manner to be described hereinafter.

Disposed within the bore i8 is the valve disc 22 which is simply a fiat disc of any suitable material, said valve disc being considerably greater in diameter than the diameter of the openings I1 while yet being somewhat smaller in diameter than the diameter of the bore I8, this characteristic of the valve disc being clearly shown in Fig. 4.

The valve disc, thus, is adapted to be moved upwardly and downwardly within the bore it, during use of the inhaler, and when in its upper position, will be engaged by the lower ends of the ribs It. When so engaged, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, the ports 2! are still open, so that the mixed fumes and air move upwardly through the ports 2| as shown by the arrows in Fig. 3.

When, however, the valve disc 22 is in its lower position, it will close the openings ii of each nozzle, so that there can be no movement of air through the nozzles and openings ii in a direction counter to that shown by the arrows in Fig. 3.

In use, the container 5 is filled with a suitable medicinal compound, the fumes of which will rise within the container so as to be particularly dense around the upper portion thereof, against the cover 6. When, subsequently, it is desired to use the device, the plug ii is removed, and the small tapered upper ends of the nozzles are placed in the nostrils of the user.

Inspiration by the user will cause air charged with the fumes of the medicinal compound, and disposed within the container 5, to move upwardly through the openings ll as shown by the arrows in Fig. 3, it being understood that said inspiratory action will cause the valve discs 22 to rise to the positions illustrated, thus to open the apertures or orifices ll and cause the charged oxygen to move upwardly through the breathing ports 2|.

Expiration has the result of forcing the discs 22 against the openings l'i, so that the exhaled air will not move downwardly through the nozzles and into the container. Rather, air to be charged with the fumes can be drawn in only through the opening It, and will of course be drawn in concurrently with the movement of previously charged air through the nozzles. Thus, only fresh air can enter the container 5 and the charging of used air is effectively prevented. In fact, the movement of the flat disc 22 back to its lower position closing the openings, H is speeded by the pressure of exhaled air, by reason of the disc 22 being of fiat construction and disposed in a plane perpendicular to the path of movement of said exhaled air.

-When the device has been used, the plug H is returned to its proper position, whereupon the inhaler is fully closed against the admission of air which, as will be understood, would cause a weakening of the strength of the medicinal compound.

It has been found that a device constructed in accordance with the invention can be used quite advantageously for the treatment of respiratory conditions by inspiratory action. During the use of the device, fresh air is drawn downwardly at considerable pressure through the small opening ill, 50 as to move downwardly against the surface of the liquid medicinal compound for charging with the fumes of said compound, this action being accompanied by the removal of previously charged air which has arisen within the container, said previously charged air moving upwardly through the outlets ll which together define an outlet area considerably greater than the inlet area defined by the small opening Ill.

, It has been found that a highly efficient mixture of air and medicament is provided by the construction, the air being thoroughly mixed with the volatile elements present in the solution. In this connection, I believe it will be clear that the device can be operated by mouth, which might be desirable for the treatment of some conditions, the device when used by mouth operating in the same manner as when placed against the nostrils.

What is claimed is:

1. An inhaler comprising a container, a cover therefor, said cover having an air inlet, nozzles mounted in said cover, and valve discs in the nozzles adapted to permit air to move out of the container, while yet preventing the admission of air into the container through the nozzles.

2. An inhaler comprising a container adapted to receive a medicinal compound in liquid form, a cover for the container, said cover having a small air inlet, a removable plug normally closing said inlet, the cover having a pair of spaced outlet openings, nozzles seated in said openings, and floating valves within the nozzles and adapted to permit one way air movement through said nozzles.

3. An inhaler comprising a container for holding a medicinal compound, said container having an air inlet, nozzles seated in the upper end of the container, valve discs reciprocable within the nozzles, there being openings at the inner ends of the nozzles normally closed by said valve discs, and a plurality of ribs spaced from the inner end of each nozzle and defining between them breathing ports, said ribs adapted to provide a stop limiting movement of the valve discs while yet retaining the breathing ports open.

.4. An inhaler comprising a container formed with an open upper end and adapted to receive a medicinal compound in liquid form, a removable cover for said container, said cover having an air inlet, the cover having spaced apart outlet openings, nozzles seated in said openings, portions of said nozzles projecting downwardly into the container through the openings, caps closing said portions of the nozzles, said caps having small diameter outlet openings, the nozzles having intermediate their ends a plurality of ribs defining breathing ports, and a valve disc movable in each nozzle between the ribs and screw caps, said disc in one position adapted to close the openings of the screw caps, while in the other position being engaged b the ribs to prevent closing of the breathing ports by the disc.

5. An inhaler comprising a, container formed with one end open, a cover removably seated in said open end, said cover having an air inlet opening, there being spaced outlet openings formed in the cover, nozzles seated in said outlet openings and having portions projecting into the container, screw caps mounted on said portions and having small diameter openings partially closing the inner ends of the nozzles, radially dis posed longitudinal ribs formed within the respective nozzles intermediate their ends and defining breathing ports, and valve discs reciprocable by inspiratory action of a user between the ribs and screw caps, said valve discs adapted to close the openings in the screwcaps in one position of the discs, and being adapted to engage the ribs in their other positions, the inner diameter of the nozzles being such as to cause the breathing ports to remain open when the valve discs are engaged by the ribs.

JIMMIEMYRON BENSON.

No references cited. 

